Monster
by princess34marth
Summary: In which Hans is an asshole, and Elsa is a bit frigid. For the iceburns week on tumblr.
1. Monster

**Monster – Modern College AU, Helsa, one shot, Mature langage: in which Hans is not very nice. Review, enjoy! - marth**

"Can I have a word with you, Westergard?"

He smirked. "I don't know, your highness. I'm sort of busy right now." He knew he was pushing his luck, but at this point he didn't care. Wheels were starting to turn, and if everything went according to plan, victory would be sweet.

"Please?" She said through gritted teeth, she looked as if she was about to explode from restraining her anger. Hans gave her a pitiful look, then steered her into an empty classroom.

The willowy blonde walked to the other side of the room and studied the campus from the window, her brows furrowed with frustration. "I thought I made myself crystal clear last time we spoke, Westergard," the words were laced with acid, and he was sure they would burn if they could.

He walked over to the teacher's desk and sat down on top of it. "I never made that claim."

Elsa whipped around to face him, her eyes flashing with hate. "I swear to god, Hans, I am going to make your life hell if you don't listen to me. I told you to stay away from Anna, and I meant it. Don't forget that I have the entire faculty behind me, as well as the student government."

"Which is rightfully mine, you know," he stated bitterly.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings by being better than you. Suck it up and get over it. I'm SGA president and there's nothing you can do about it." Her arms crossed over her chest and she took a defensive stance.

The redhead slid his hands into his pockets and tried to ignore the twitch in his jaw. "It doesn't matter to me what you think. I only care about getting what I want."

"And what is that, exactly? Because I'm absolutely sick of you playing mind games with my sister! She's only eighteen, you're going to screw her up for life if you don't stop!" Elsa took a step towards him and attempted to look threatening. "And I will make you regret it if you take this too far."

Hans struggled to contain a grin. "I'll stop harassing your precious baby sister on one condition."

Elsa's eyes darkened and she sucked in her cheeks. She already knew what he wanted, and it wasn't going to happen. "Absolutely not."

He shrugged. "I guess that's it, then. If you won't step down and give me the position I so rightfully deserve, then I'll just continue charming that adorable little sister of yours."

She looked like she wanted to throttle him. "You are such an absolute asshole, you know that?"

A short laugh escaped him. "Oh dear, name calling does not suit you. I'm sure the council would hate to have their perfect queen using such language." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "They'd probably also hate to know that you were seen in Dr. Finch's office three times in one week."

All of the blood drained from her face and her breathing grew rapid and shallow. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Me seeing the school counselor has nothing to do with you, with anyone! You have no idea why I might be seeing him."

Victory was close, he could feel it. "Doesn't matter. All I have to say is that you look tired, that you've been having some problems with all the stress from being pres, and you're done for. I don't give a shit about your mental health, love."

"Don't call me that, you sociopathic monster."Her eyes burned now, and her fingernails were practically cutting into her palms. She was absolutely seething with rage.

"You can stop this from happening, you know how." He feigned interest in a cuticle, but inside his heart was racing. Hans glanced innocently up at her, and was pleasantly surprised to find a look of defeat written all over her delicate features. Now he had her.

"But, I guess there might be another way." Her eyes shot up to his, silently pleading and weary.

"A kiss."

"Excuse me?"

"A kiss. Just one, shouldn't be too hard. I won't even tell anyone, scout's honor."

Her jaw dropped and now her cheeks were bright red. "You're crazy."

"I prefer the term opportunistic."

"There's no way in hell-"

"Are you sure you want to pass this up? Your sister's feelings, your place on the council? Either way, without doing this you'll be packing up your desk before sundown. Besides, you know that you find me attractive, even if you detest me."

"You're disgusting," she spat.

His shrugged and grinned, and his eyes raked her body up and down, enjoying her inner turmoil.

Elsa stared down at her feet, her eyebrows knitted together in a deep "V". "But why? Why me? And how can I trust you won't tell?"

"You can't. But it's your only way out."

She worried her lip with her teeth, and he was panicked, thinking she might back out. But then she met his eyes and sighed. "Just... one. That's all." Her eyes were steely, and she looked like she might be sick.

"Just one, and you're off the hook."

"Fine."

When he didn't move, she took a nervous step forward, until finally she stood in between his knees. An awkward moment passed, and neither moved. But then she lifted a hand and placed it gently on his shoulder, and brought her face to his.

The kiss was tentative at first, chaste even, but then Hans threaded his fingers through her thick hair and pulled her flush against him. Her hands moved up to his neck, and he would have sworn they were shaking. A nip at a tender pink lip, a swipe of his tongue, and she opened under him. The taste of triumph was sweet on his tongue as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, and his other hand rested on her hip. When he tugged at her hair, the tiniest moan escaped, and he was nearly undone.

But then she pulled away slowly, her eyes foggy with lust. It was like she had forgotten where she was and who she was with, but then she remembered and Elsa's eyes narrowed in a hateful glare. Hans couldn't take his eyes from her bruised lips even as she snarled, "You tell anyone, Westergard, and I'll kill you personally." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stormed out of the classroom, cursing at the heavy door.

He hardly heard her. The battle was won, but the war was not over; Hans didn't care. As he strolled out of the room, he couldn't help but laugh to himself. Being SGA president was chump change, compared to being the first and only to kiss the college's resident Ice Queen.


	2. Fire and Ice

**Fire and Ice – Modern College AU, Helsa, Mature language: in which Elsa is very confused. Enjoy! - marth**

"So I met a boy today," Anna said quietly, attempting to be nonchalant. She was busy messing up Elsa's bed at the moment, texting lazily on her back.

"Oh?" Elsa murmured, deep in concentration. This second to last question on her physics homework was evading her; she silently cursed herself for her misguided belief that she would eventually get better at math. All of the questions had been miserably hard, but this one was particularly hellish.

As much as she desired peace and quiet, she knew kicking Anna out would make her feel unbearably selfish. Since she was SGA president, Elsa had her own private room on the top floor of the girls dorm. Anna was in her room nearly every day, and she usually didn't mind. They had spent so long apart due to her going to a private all girls school; her parents had been less strict the second go round and Anna had escaped the isolation. Now that their parents were permanently vacationing in the islands and Anna was college age, they could choose to go to the same school.

The younger girl flopped over onto her stomach. "Mhmm, his name is Kristoff."

Elsa's ears perked up. "Kristoff? What happened to that other guy?" Subtlety was not her strong suit, but she tried to appear as disinterested in the conversation as she was in her homework.

"Ugh, Hans. He's such a manwhore, I heard he's got twenty different girls, he's a total player." Anna rolled into a sitting position to look at Elsa. "He may be a pretty boy, but he's a jerk. Now, Kristoff, he's so sweet!" She clapped her hands together and mooned, a goofy smile plastered on her face even as her phone hit the floor.

"Hmm. Very well," was Elsa's only answer as she tried to work on the stupid math some more. Going to a tutor would be embarrassing, and she wasn't close enough to anyone else in the class to ask for help.

Anna let out a huge, obvious sigh. "I'm bored, let's go play. Homework is the worst."

"I'm sure you have some, why don't you work on it?" Elsa massaged her temples and started erasing her latest attempt.

Her sister was about to start pouting when her cell phone rang, the sound of bells. "Eeek! It's him!" Anna squealed, flailing around for her phone before falling off the bed completely. After finding it just in the nick of time, she started talking animatedly to the boy on the other end.

Elsa fought a grimace and started gathering her books. The library would be much more conducive to studying, and she might even be able to find a teacher to help with this goddamned problem.

As she walked through the dorm and out into the breezeway, she nodded to students along the way. Smiling took a lot of effort, and she had work to do. Besides, why did she owe anyone a smile? Anna always said she suffered from "chronic bitch face". Elsa considered herself noble.

The blonde had just settled herself into an empty study room when the door opened. She ignored the presence and chalked it up to a needy freshman when tall someone sat down in the chair across from her. When she finally acknowledged them, her stomach dropped and she wished she hadn't.

"Unless you want to taste the back of my hand, I suggest you move along, Westergard." She blatantly glared at him, and for once was glad for her bitch face; maybe it would be sufficient to drive him away.

"Trust me, your holiness, there are other parts of you that I would much rather taste." A soft smile enhanced his strong jaw; if her entire head hadn't suddenly been set aflame, one would think he was talking of nothing but the weather.

Elsa opened her mouth to rip him apart, but before she could utter a sound he pulled her homework away from her. "Physics C? Wow, this is such old stuff. You're doing this one all wrong though." He looked back up to her and his smile grew into a wicked grin, his eyes shining with mischief. "I'll be damned. The flawless Ice Queen can't manage math."

She quickly snatched away the paper from him and sneered. "I thought I told you to leave me alone, you bastard. Now, fuck off before I call the librarian."

He stood quickly and leaned over her. "Elsa, Elsa, Elsa. Is that anyway to treat your kindly upperclassman? I was simply trying to help you." Suddenly he was close, much too close. "Really, with all the stress you're under, I'll do anything I can to assist our," the contempt in his voice was nearly palpable, "queen."

"Don't call me that," she managed to force from her lips.

"What are you going to do about it, Elsa?"

The tension between them was painful with Hans standing over her; she felt trapped. Her regular bravado was failing fast under his relentless attack. But there was something else beneath the panic; she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and his hands and how warm his body had been. So when he bent down closer to her, Elsa froze.

She felt his lips on the corner of her mouth first, like he was seeking permission. Over the next few nights, she would ask herself a thousand times why, but in that moment she did not reject him. His mouth became impatient; his lips closed over hers and his hands settled on her shoulders. When he deepened the kiss, she trembled; no one had ever made her feel this conflicted before. No one had ever made her feel anything before.

Hans' mouth wandered to jawline and he placed little kisses in a trail to her ear. "Admit it, Elsa. You want me. You need me. We're like light and dark, fire and ice, pleasure and pain. You want this." He pressed his lips into her hair, his hands like a vise on her shoulders.

But it was too much too soon. Elsa jerked away from him and practically jumped out of the chair. She felt angry, used, but mostly, she was terribly confused. "Just..leave me alone, Hans." Her voice wavered and a bolt of self loathing pierced her; could she appear any more the weak, stupid woman? Instead of facing him, she ran. Ran away from physics, from Hans, from anything less than a perfect, frozen facade.

Elsa was so glad for the solitude of her room that it wasn't until hours later that she realized her physics homework was in his possession. She screamed into her pillow until she felt better; just another thing for that scumbag to hold over her.


	3. War

**War – Modern College AU, Helsa, Mature language: in which Hans is better at math. Enjoy! - marth**

Oh, this was just too delicious, too sweet for words. He had her at his mercy, and the feeling was beautiful.

"Just give it back, Westergard. I'm sick of your antics." She had caught him after breakfast and had him cornered in a lesser used hallway outside the cafeteria. Her small foot tapped impatiently and she was obviously trying to bore a hole through his head with a glare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, your grace." Hans knew exactly what she was talking about. Elsa's pitiful attempt at physics was currently taking up space in his book bag, safely stashed after she had stormed out on their last encounter.

An exasperated sigh was his answer; she pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and clenched her other fist. "What the hell did I ever do to you, I mean really. I'd never even spoken to you since before this semester, why am I your victim? Why do you always fight me?"

Why? Because it had taken her until this semester for her to talk to him. For two damn years he had been subtly trying to impress her, win her over, and she hadn't even given him the time of day. When the ice queen had finally noticed him, it was only because he had moved in on her baby sister and she had treated him with utter disdain, like he was worth less than gum on a sidewalk. Hans was just a snake to her, dangerous and revolting. Well, he was definitely dangerous, especially when he set his sights on something. She was perfectly cold, slightly bitchy, and drop dead gorgeous. Not to mention that she was right behind him in test scores, and had somehow managed to steal the class presidency right out from under him.

But he had kissed her, not once, but twice. No one else could claim to do that; no one else could get that close to her without getting frozen by her attitude.

And he also knew that she was being seen by the school counselor, but he still didn't know why. Probably stress, from school or from self loathing, he guessed. But that was his trump card, he didn't want to reveal that until absolutely necessary.

Right now, though, he had her homework. The girl that he simultaneously adored and hated, that caused such warring in his previously one track mind, was right in front of him, and all the power was in his hands.

"Go on a date with me."

Elsa's face lifted, and it was distorted with a look of complete incredulity. "What? Wha, what the hell is wrong with you?

He shrugged. "You want something from me, I want something from you. What'll it be?"

She pushed a hand through her blonde hair, still confused. "Do you have to bargain for everything? Can't you just let me go on with my life?"

Green eyes glanced around slyly; they were completely alone in the hallway and early morning classes had already started, guaranteeing them privacy. Using all the charm and suavity he possessed, Hans moved towards her and had her up against the wall. He placed a hand on either side of her head and relished the look of apprehension in her eyes. The sneer still didn't leave her mouth; she was no longer afraid of him, just puzzled.

"Go on a date with me, and I'll keep your shitty math grades to myself."

She blanched and seemed to shrink. "How do you know that?"

An auburn brow raised a bit; success. "You told me yourself."

Realization hit her like a freight train. "You are such a douchebag." A heartbeat later, her lip twisted up again and a shiver ran down his back. "I'll just tell the student council that you're sexually harassing me. You're awfully close to graduation Westergard, I doubt that would look good this late in the game."

"I'll let you in on a secret, Elsa," his eyelids lowered and his smooth voice dropped to a whisper. "It isn't sexual harassment if you enjoyed it."

Her jaw dropped and it took all of his self control not to close her mouth with his own. She was quiet when she finally spoke. "What do you gain from this war on my reputation, asshole?"

He studied her for a moment before backing away and tucking his hands into his pants pockets. "Entertainment," he lied.

The murderous look that earned him prepared him for the slap. His cheek stung, but he had suffered worse. "I am no one's play thing, bastard." But there was a tinge of hurt to her words, like for a brief moment she had wished to be more than that to the man she proclaimed to hate. Another battle won.

Hans shrugged his bag off of his shoulder and pulled out her homework. Just as she reached for it, he snatched it away. "I'll give it back on one condition; let me tutor you in physics. You won't have to ask a teacher, and no one else will know your shortcomings. Otherwise, from the look of the work you've done, you're going to fail this class."

Elsa took a step back, her brow furrowed in deliberation. After what felt like an hour, but was probably only two minutes, she answered, "You... you won't tell anyone, will you?"

The way her big blue eyes begged him undid any cruel intentions he had. "Didn't tell anyone about the kiss, did I? Scout's honor."

He extended the crumpled paper to her; she seemed almost scared to take it. "Wednesdays. Nine pm. The student council room is empty after then, but I'm free to use it as I please."

"Only one night a week?" Hans asked as they started walking, Elsa leading the way.

She pursed her lips. "I got voted onto the homecoming committee, I have less free time now."

They stopped in front of a classroom, and he realized that he had inadvertently walked her to her first class of the day. She gave him a leery look, then smoothed her hair and walked into the class. Hans questioned the look of relief that settled onto her features, but then she smiled. Small, barely there, really, but there it was. The war was won.


	4. Cinderella

**Cinderella– Modern College AU, Helsa, Mature language: in which Hans is a gentleman. This is the end, everyone, but depending on responses there may be an epilogue. Thank you so much for all of your kind words, please enjoy! - marth **

"I have to hand it to you, I didn't think you could pull it off. I'm impressed, your majesty."

"If you call me that one more time, I'll make you regret it, Westergard."

Hans grinned. "Talk is cheap, Elsa."

She scowled, but soon relaxed and rested her hands on her hips. The rented hall looked absolutely incredible; the winter wonderland theme had been pulled off magnificently under Elsa's direction. Crystalline snow flakes hung from the ceiling, tinsel and glitter stuck to everything, and the dj's light setup made the decoration gleam like real ice. An ice sculpture of the school's mascot, the Raging Reindeer, was situated to the side with a buffet. The sound system was taken care of, the food in place, and all that was needed were the party goers. The homecoming dance was sure to be a hit.

He wasn't technically on the homecoming committee, but had volunteered to help. Elsa had been so busy with this stupid dance that she hadn't been able to concentrate on studying; of course, his teasing probably wasn't conducive to learning, either. So, in order for her to have more free time, and thus more time to spend with him, Hans had informally joined the committee and led the planning when Elsa had more important things to do. She had relinquished the power begrudgingly; it was only a small bit of power at that, but it still went to his head a bit as he surveyed the beautiful room.

"Two hours until the dance starts," Elsa murmured, and he looked over to her. No matter how much he helped, worry lines still marred her brow. He frowned. Over a few months, their once a week tutoring sessions had turned into late night chats about family, school, and their pasts. This was the most work he had ever put into a relationship, but it was worth it. The ice queen was warming up to him; the sneers had morphed into smiles, and her glares were almost playful now. His heart soared whenever she smiled, because it was for him and no one else.

"Don't you have to get dressed or something?" he asked. The tshirt and yoga pants she was currently wearing were not very good for dancing, as much as he enjoyed the view.

Elsa groaned. "Yes, Anna is waiting to attack my hair once I go back to the dorms." She stretched and popped her back. "I might as well get going, there's not a whole lot left to do here." They walked over to where their respective bags had been placed, and Hans lifted her's for her. She took it graciously, but then bit her lip and looked away. "You better be here on time, Westergard. Don't make me regret taking you as my date."

Hans chuckled as she practically ran from the room. Getting her to agree to that had been no easy feat, but in the end he hadn't even needed to blackmail her for a yes. She was so stubborn about admitting to any sort of feelings for him, but he was getting close; he could sense it. If he played his cards right, perhaps tonight would be the night that she allowed him to be more than an acquaintance held at arms length.

"Westergard!" He turned at the sound of his name, a stiff smile plastered on his face. Spending so much time helping a certain blonde had seriously cut into his sleep schedule, and he didn't particularly feel like acting right now. A group of older men were walking towards him; he recognized them as some of the graduate program directors. One of the men, Dr. Gilmore was possibly his name, pushed to the front of the group. "We understand that you plan on attending the college's school of electrical engineering, is that right?"

"Yes, professor, that's correct."

The older man smiled. "Excellent! You've shown promise, from what we've seen."

A plump man, one of the advanced chemistry teachers, spoke up. "Striking out from the rest of your brothers, good for you."

Hans tried not to grimace. "Well, we can't all be chemists."

Dr. Gilmore clapped him on the shoulder. "Very true. We were wondering if you would like to review some of the projects we've been developing, see if you're interested. It would be a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with our department."

Auburn eyebrows raised slightly. This could be the chance he needed to gain some recognition and cement his place in the highly competitive program. He clenched his jaw; Elsa would kill him if he was late. But she was ambitious, she would understand. It couldn't possibly take that long, he probably wouldn't even be late. Hans smiled. "Thank you, professors. I would love to."

* * *

Good lord, could those old bags of wind talk! Hans was practically running to get to the dance hall. He hadn't been able to get out of the research department until almost three hours later. At this point, a wrinkled suit was the last of his worries, knowing how Elsa could be about punctuality. He arrived well after the party had begun. Bodies draped in sequins and silk crushed in against each other, dancing to the beat of the painfully loud electronic music. Hans maneuvered through the crowd, searching for that unnaturally pale shade of blonde that he knew so well. Elsa was no where to be found, so he tried his next best bet.

He found Anna dancing with a bulky man, a sophomore from the looks of it. "Anna, where is your sister?" Hans yelled over the music.

The young girl seemed confused for a moment, then shook her head. Hans turned from her and continued his search. Finally, he found her off to the side of the dance hall, speaking with a group of teachers. Dr. Wesel, the government professor, was speaking quite animatedly to her. It took the redhead a moment to realize that the teacher was yelling at her. Hans was still too far away to hear the conversation when he caught Elsa's eye; something was very, very wrong.

He broke through the mass of dancers and made his way to Elsa as quickly as possible. "Elsa! I've been looking for you everywhere." He turned to Dr. Wesel, resisting the urge to throttle him. "Excuse me, professor, but I've been waiting all night to dance with my gorgeous date. You won't mind if I steal her away from you, will you?" Without waiting for an answer, Hans took the panicky blond by the arm and gently led her out of the dance hall.

Once they broke free of the crowd, Elsa took the lead and dragged him through the building until they made it outside. They were at the back of the building, their only company a dumpster and the cars of the servers. Now he had a chance to actually look at her. The woman in front of him had truly been transformed into an Ice Queen; her floor length gown glittered with thousands of powder blue crystals, her hair was beautifully arranged. Every detail was perfect, except for the abject fear in her eyes.

Hans felt anger rise up within him. "Elsa, what happened? Did someone upset you? What's wrong?" It must have been that pathetic little excuse for a teacher, or maybe someone had said something bad about the decorations.

The shaking blond hugged herself tightly and slowly met his eyes. "You're late." Before he could make any excuse, she stepped towards him and tucked her head into his shoulder. Elsa was touching him. Elsa was touching him voluntarily; she was so close, he could smell her perfume, he could hear her shuddering breaths. Hans instinctively folded his arms around her and held her, her head tucked under his chin. His hands stroked her back comfortingly while his mind raced frantically as he tried to decipher what had happened to upset her so.

Eventually she pulled away, her breathing normal but her eyes still strained. "Thank you." She was starting to draw back into herself; Hans took her face into his hands, his thumbs removing all trace of tears. He waited patiently for her to explain, his heart pounding. Something about this moment felt like they were standing on the edge of a knife, and moving too quickly would destroy them.

"Whenever I'm overwhelmed, or stressed, or sometimes for no reason at all," her eyes begged him for understanding, for acceptance, "I have panic attacks. That's why I've tried so hard to stay alone, it's why I see Dr. Finch. It's been getting worse recently, I haven't been able to control it as well." She was talking faster now, winding herself up again. "I've gotten used to you being around, and then you weren't, and Dr. Wesel started chewing me out for the stupidest, most insignificant thing, and you," her hands clenched the fabric of his tuxedo, "you weren't here."

Understanding broke over him like cold water; had she really said that she was used to him? That he helped control her anxiety? She needed him. She wanted him. Without thinking, he crushed her to him and kissed the top of her hair. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for being late, I'm sorry for not realizing sooner."

"It's not your fault. I've been this way since I was a kid. This college has been my first time in place with so many people, and I was doing well until this year. Maybe it was Anna being here, and I was afraid of her finding out how messed up I am." He could feel her breath on his neck; it was all he could do to focus on her words and not how close she was. "Then you had to start antagonizing me, and I just couldn't stand you. I was mean to you because I thought you deserved it, I thought you could handle it. You really are an asshole, you know."

He laughed darkly. "My most charming feature, I would say. I think you enjoy my pestering as much as I do, not that you don't give as good as you get."

Elsa looked up and him and sniffled. "Are you still mad that I got president over you?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Are you still mad that I flirted with your sister to get your attention?" he retorted.

"Wait, what?" Her brows shot up into her hair, and she nearly sneered but Hans caught her chin and smirked.

"Well, being the best looking guy on campus, and the smartest, wasn't enough. Drastic measures were called for."

She sighed and her mouth that he desperately wanted to kiss relaxed. "You're positively evil, sometimes."

"An evil Prince Charming for an Ice Queen seems fitting, don't you think?"

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Elsa pushed away, her cheeks slightly red. "Then, as queen, don't make me wait again, Westergard. I won't tolerate it." Her face was serious for a heartbeat, before they both broke out into laughter.

"I'll do my best, your highness." He watched her for a moment, just to make sure she was really alright. "Do you want to go back inside?" When she hesitated, Hans grinned. "Actually, I think I want you all to myself tonight."

She scowled, but seemed pleased. He looked her up and down once more; she looked stunning. With a flourish, he bowed and extended his hand. "Now, may I have this dance?"

Elsa allowed herself a small smile. "You may." And when he kissed her this time, she didn't run.


	5. It's Complicated

**It's Complicated - Modern College AU. For previous chapters, please look back to "Cinderella", "War", "Fire and Ice", and "Monster", from the Iceburns week. Under the label "Monster" on my account!**

"Come on, Elsa. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile!"

Right now, every muscle in her face was strained. Lips pursed, bitter tongue caught between straight white teeth, brow not quite furrowed but definitely taunt. Her eyes narrowed and she sank as far as she could into the stuffy yellow armchair.

"Dr. Finch, I have taken human anatomy and physiology enough times to know that, in fact, it takes ten muscles to smile, and only six to frown." It took conscious effort not to grimace. "I prefer not to expend unnecessary energy, and honestly, why do I owe anyone a smile? Why do I exist to make others feel better about themselves? Why is it considered a bad thing, improper, sign of poor upbringing even, to be truthful with how one feels? I sincerely," she hissed with emphasis, "detest being instructed on how to feel, happy or otherwise."

The pudgy, salt and pepper haired man set down a notepad and pen, then folded his hands across his middle and sighed. "Elsa, is everything alright? You've been tense as of late, well, more tense than usual." A thick hand plucked a metal puzzle from his desk, a large set of rings that would fit together if only one could turn them the right way. He passed the toy to Elsa and waited patiently for her response.

The rings were heavy, and her nimble fingers felt clumsy as she measured each in her hand, searching for a clue. "There's...I've made a friend." She paused for a second, glanced up through dark lashes to make sure Dr. Finch wasn't too taken aback, then continued. "My ...friend. He loves to smile, and he's always insincere." She snickered. "He's arrogant, and a know it all, and likes to scheme and through surprises." The rings knotted again, and she looked up to Dr. Finch. "I hate surprises. Anyways, he's better at math than me, and everything else really, and he likes to remind me sometimes. He's a huge flirt too, always chatting and socializing and he has too many friends that are more like stepping stones than people to him."

"What makes him your friend, Elsa?" A minute passed, then another. "You speak of him from an outsider's perspective, like someone who's never really spent time with him." The older man gestured towards the rings. "Try thinking of it from a different perspective."

She flipped the rings over and tried a different approach. "He knows. About me. About my panic attacks, I mean. And how antisocial I am. And he doesn't mind." Her cheeks warmed, and the edges of her mouth lifted. "He helps me with math, and is very patient. He acts like I'm the only person in the room, like I'm important and what I have to say matters. He likes that I'm smart, and that I don't like to smile."

"Have the two of you spoken of this?" His head quirked to the side a bit as he watched her fight with the rings.

The young woman sighed, a sigh so full of despair and frustration that the old counselor would have sworn that the room dropped in temperature. "That's the thing, Dr. Finch. It's just so, just," she tossed the puzzle onto the floor and pushed her hair aside to massage her temples. "It's complicated."

* * *

"Sooooooo, how's it going?" Anna was perched in windowsill of Elsa's dorm, unwittingly threatening a pot of ivy and a stack of textbooks. The blonde rescued her plant and gently settled it on a clear corner of her desk, somehow managing to avoid her sister's eyes the entire time.

"Things are going well, thank you. Dr. Corcarova mentioned that you're doing great, she seems to like you." She sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed her skirt, hoping that the conversation would remain lighthearted.

Anna scoffed and twirled a braid. "Only because she liked you first. Please, Els, it's Freshman Lit. How could I screw that up?" She looked over towards Elsa, but her attempt at subtlety failed. The cold blonde refused to meet her gaze. "Haven't been about to study with you recently. I think Ida mentioned that you've been visiting the library a lot?"

Ice trickled down the older girl's spine and she stiffened considerably. "It's possible. I have a lot of homework."

The word came forth like an explosion. "Bullshit!"

"Anna!" Finally Elsa met Anna's eyes, albeit with a harsh glare. "Profanity is entirely uncalled for."

"You were in the library with manwhore! Tell the truth!" Anna hopped down from the window and hovered over the blonde like a caffeinated squirrel. "Tell me, tell me pleeeeeease. I'm your sister! I want to know these kinds of things! I deserve to know! Come oooooooooon." The strawberry blonde settled with her head in Elsa's lap, pouting and puppy eyes in full effect.

Elsa sighed and ran her fingers through her baby sister's hair. When on earth had she become so aware? Maybe it had started when she had found Kristoff, and then Rapunzel and Merida. She was slowly branching out in the world in a way that had always been inaccessible to Elsa. "Hans, dear. His name is Hans. And he's really not as whorish as you make him out to be." Probably best to leave out why Anna was led to think he was promiscuous. "We've connected, you could say."

The teen's gasp was sharp enough that even the sound hurt Elsa's chest. "Reeeally? That's so awesome! Oh, I'm so excited! Have you kissed him yet? Has he bought you any presents? Are you going to date? He's a senior, he'll be gone next year and you might be separated oh no! Are you dating or what?"

Elsa chewed her lip, pale fingers still weaving through Anna's hair. Were they dating? And she hadn't thought about him going to grad school, he hadn't mentioned it. She sighed. "It's complicated."

* * *

"Westergard, I-"

"Have I ever told you how much I love hearing you say my name?" She flicked her eyes around, hoping to god that no one heard his remarks, but they were alone on the campus lawn. "It's so cute, like for a scant second, you're the superior," he murmured.

She could tell that he wanted to go on, but she cut him off with a cold look. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, _Westergard, _I was thinking." The ever chivalrous Hans had volunteered to walk her to Dr. Finch's office after class, and he had chosen the scenic route.

"Of what, dare I ask?" His smug attitude was only tempered by the light of his smile, the fury of his fiery hair. Hans was too attractive for his own good, and he knew it. Her pause had been too long, now she could feel his eyes on her and her cheeks warmed. Damn. Elsa kept her eyes forward as they walked.

"Graduate school. Have you given it any thought?" The words felt like spitting out ice chips, carved from a hunk of sharp, frozen fear caught in her throat.

Hans stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Well, of course. Who hasn't? I'm supposed to be graduating in a few months, I'm sure I'll figure something out. My older brother Ian traveled South America for six months after graduation, then decided to move there permanently. That's always an option I guess."

"South America?" Panic bubbled up inside her chest and tickled the knot in her throat, making her nauseous. Would he really move so far away? Didn't he hate his brothers? Should they even consider dating if he was just going to break her heart in a few short months? Shit, what was even the point of reaching out to anyone, they all just could leave her at any moment!

"Elsa?" Warm hands settled on her shoulders and she looked up. "Look, as much as I love teasing and manipulating you," he managed to say with a grain of humility, "I would not lie to you about this. I've put in my application for the electrical engineering school on campus, and that's my plan after graduation. No tricks. No complications."

Heat seeped down from where his hands rested and thawed all the way from her ears to her toes. "No complications?" An unused muscle twitched in her jaw.

"None. Simplicity itself! And don't worry about six months from now." His hands slid down her arms and grasped her slender fingers, bringing them to his lips. "Worry more about what you're going to wear when you come home with me on fall break." When she broke out into a grin that rivaled the brightness of dawn against the snow, he kissed her, deep and full.

Dr. Finch was waiting patiently in his office. "Elsa, you're smiling. Is this your friend?"

She nodded demurely. "He is, a very dear friend of mine."

"You'll have to tell me all about him. If you'll excuse us, Mr. erhm.."

"Hans. His name is Hans." Elsa gave him a slight wave goodbye and then settled in to an armchair. "By the way, do you think I could see that puzzle again? I think I've gained some perspective."


End file.
